St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-12-17
THE PRINCIPLES INVOLVED IN
THE CONTEST.
n. o. PiCayunc.

n. o. Picayuno.
In no campaign in Louisiana dur
ing this generation has there
been more public discussion OF
the issues involved. Able leaders on
mental principles of Democracy, and
dealt in detail with the acts of the pres
ent State administration. There is,
however, one broad principle underly
ing all the opposition to Governor Nc
Enery's denomination which, though
recognized and appreciated by the
masses, has not been perhaps sufficient
ly dWelt upon.
Every citizen of Louisiana, however
humble, realizes the fact that the con-
test now going on for the nomination of
State officials Is one between the COVER
erned and the governing, between llber-
ty and power, between the people and
the office holders.
These are the two great antagOnistiC
forces in politics, and as the one or the
other performances so will be the char
acter of the government. Russia at one
extreme Is Il government OF ottCeh hold
erS, and ours at the other extreme is Il
government of the people, and between
them lies every intermediate stage of
political development, showing to what
extent one of these forces has been
modified by the other. The theory OF
government is an effort to eradicate this
antagoDism by destroying the fact up
on which it rests, and that fact is any
thing approaching the existence of
dlstlnctlyely official class.
BY prescribing short terms of and rO-
tatlon in office, every citizen is, or at
least may be, alternately a citizen and
an office hOlder-a citizen to-day and
an otficehOlder tomorrow, and IL Citi-
zen the next day; and hence his inter
est in one direction is nO.Sreater than in
the other. But the ring policy strikes
at this, the very cornerstone of our pO-
litical editfice. Its very purpose is to
organize the ottice-holders into cIese
corporation, to create Il separate and
distinct class, and through this organi-
cation to interpose the office holders be-
tween the people and the government.
It's inevitable tendency IS to enable the
Office holders to perpetuate themselves
and regulate their own succession as
completely as the law regulates that of
inheritance.
For instance, the present State incum-
bents may retain office as long as they
please, and then unerrlugly name their
successors, with which the people have
nothing to do further than through the
operation of the machine to record the
edicts of the ring. 1t is therefore, too
plain to require further ILLUSTRATION that
the issue involved III this contest is
Democratic principle against the ring,
the people against the office holders.
This issue the office holders them
selves have raised by attempting to
force McEnery, and through McEuery
upon an unwilling people
and it must either be met or Democrat
jc principle must be abandoned, for
ringism and Democracy are as lnCOm-
patlble as oil and water. II the people
of Louisiana believe themselves incapa-
bic of government, II they think
that they have too great liberty, their
provides remedy for the
evil. and let them as men trained to and
understanding free institutions pursue
that remedy by amending their constl-
tuition and curtaillng their too album
dant liberty, but not through personal
friendship for its leaders follow Oft
usurpation as thinly disguised as this
ring movement is.
ii the Democratic party now fails to
meet the purposes OF Its creation 1t Will |
shame the people of Louisiana, for we
cannot attempt to force 1t into suicide |
by compelling 1t to cover policy SO at |
war with its principles.
To illustrate tue usurpatlOn referred |
to, to show to what extent the ring de- |
feats the will of the people, if q few
months ago, before this canvass had |
taken shape, any man ii the State had |
been asked the question, he would have |
said that General Nichols was the |
choice of the people, but in all proba-
biity would have accompanied this adj |
mission with the assertion that he could |
not be elected because the ring was |
against him.
Here we have the universal adms-
defeats the will OF the people, that
tue will of the people is abso-
utely set aside by a confederation of
Dffice-holders. This is silent
and unseen revolution that entirely |
changes the character of our gov
ernment. 1t is no longer the govern |
nent of the people but that of clique.
It is no longer republic but an oligar-
,hy, the most debaslng, the most un-
orincipled and the most arbitrary Of all
governments.
The issue then is that either the ring
Or the Democratic party must perish.
This is the contest, and in this contest
Governor McEnery represents the firing
and General Nichols represents the
party. The one is supported by the
office holders and the other by the peo-
ole. There is here no question as to the
relative merits Of the two men, for
these are absorbed in the fact that they
stand as the opponents of these two
principles. So completely is the indi-
vidual merged in the cause he repre-
sents. if any other man OF McEnery'ss
views were put in his place he would
meet with the same opposition that Nc
Euery does and were any other put
n Nichols place, the support he would
receive would be just in proportion as
he attained to or receded from the
Nichols standard.
SO bitter a conflict within the
party might be deprecated. But this is
! question of principle, and that too, OF |